Hispanic Leaders Shaping Rhode Island:

Sabina Matos is currently employed by New Roots Providence which is a Faith and Community based capacity building initiative under the umbrella of the Providence Plan. She is a Rhode Island College graduate with a B.A. in Communications, Public Relations, and since her early college years Sabina showed interest in working with the community. When it came time to choose where her work-study would take place, Sabina opted for a local social services agency to fulfill her requirement. From that time continuing to the present she has maintained her involvement with issues and organizations that work towards the betterment of the community. Sabina Matos graduated from the Latina Leadership Institute of the Rhode Island Latino Civic Fund in 2003, was appointed Executive Vice-President and later Vice President in 2005, and President in 2007. As a graduate from Leadership for a Future in 2003, she played a key role as a member of the committee organizing the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride which brought thousands of immigrants, labor unions, elected officials and other supporters of immigrant rights together in Washington DC and New York City in that same year. She is currently a board member of the Olney Ville Housing Corporation and has been since 2004, and is an active board member with the United Way of Rhode Island.

President of the board of ECAS Theater (Teatro ECAS), an organization that works on providing the Rhode Island Latino community with the opportunity to enjoy theater in Spanish without having to travel outside of the state, Sabina, who is an avid Theater buff, volunteers many hours of hard work every year to ECAS’s continuous success. She is currently on the ballot running for City Council representing Ward 15.

Poder1110 asked: “What drives you?”

Sabina’s response: “My family is my source of strength and motivation, as well as having a mission. My mission is to eliminate lasting negative stereo-types of Latinos, which taint or mask the enormous contributions Latinos have made historically in this great nation, and continue to make locally and nationally. I draw on the strength provided by my family and my community, and I strive to reciprocate by encouraging civic participation and empowering Latinos to become involved – it is very rewarding!”